The 19 non-governmental groups involved in the Government's public consultation debate on genetically modified foods are considering whether to boycott the process, which is overseen by the Department for the Environment, because of dissatisfaction with its agenda.
The second and final meeting of the debate on GMOs and the environment is scheduled to take place in Dublin this Thursday, but the planned agenda provides too little time to debate the issues, according to Genetic Concern.
The debate is central to the Government's plans to develop a position on the planting of GM crops and the application of the genetic technologies. The process involves three key groups - the biotech and GM food industry, academics and the NGOs - so the withdrawal of NGO support would seriously undermine it.
The agenda for Thursday's session was set by an independent panel of four chaired by Mr Turlough O'Donnell QC. It was based on presentations by the three groups and a long question-and-answer session which was launched by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, and took place over a full day on May 25th.
Copies of the agenda for Thursday's meeting were received by the NGOs yesterday. Under the heading "Balancing the environmental and economic concerns", subjects for discussion during the morning session include the environment (safety, ethical issues and biodiversity) and the economy (commercialisation of science and growth potential).
Afternoon topics include procedures and processes (risk assessment, the moratorium issue and regulation) and information and education (consumer choice, labelling and advice).
"The NGOs are considering their position," Mr Quentin Gargan of Genetic Concern said. The NGOs had adopted a common position and had prepared carefully for the debate, he said, but the agenda handed down by the independent panel strayed away from issues specifically linked to the environment.
The NGOs had focused on just four agenda items - ethics, biodiversity, food and risks - for the meeting, Ms Sadhbh O'Neill, also of Genetic Concern, said. "Three of the four issues have been squashed into a quarter of the time" given for the full debate. Ms Shirley Clerkin of the Irish Wildlife Trust said the agenda made it seem as though the panel or the Government had already taken a decision on GMOs. "Looking at this we would think that they have already made up their minds. This is only a cosmetic exercise."
Ms Iva Pocock of VOICE said "Our response is that if this is a debate on GMOs and the environment, why are we considering the economic issues?" She said the NGOs had very little time to respond to the agenda.
No decision would be taken on continued participation in the process until NGO views had been assessed. "We would not pull out of the process lightly," she added. "What they have come up with is unacceptable."
Ms O'Neill said the process could not continue without NGO participation. "The NGOs are the people representing the public" at the debate, she said. Ms Pocock agreed saying, "I don't think that the process is any way meaningful with us [the NGOs]."
The withdrawal of any of the participants would be unfortunate, according to a spokesman for the Department of the Environment. "If somebody were to walk away it would be regrettable."
He pointed out, however, that the Department had not set the agenda. "The agenda has been set by the independent panel," he said. "Strictly speaking it is not our agenda. That is what the independent panel was there for."
